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Editorial - Public schools must come first

We can't improve schools – and they need it – by taking away resources

Published: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 10:45 p.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 10:45 p.m.

A group of public school advocates met under a tree at Robert Strange Park on Friday, sounding the alarm – a school bell, actually – about efforts by the N.C. General Assembly to cut programs that have proven effective in the public schools and spend taxpayers' money on charter schools and private school vouchers.

Led by former congressman and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Bob Etheridge, speakers from Public Schools First NC ran down a list of assaults on public schools, from cuts in preschool programs proven to make a difference in student achievement, to demoralizing treatment of teachers, to cutting teacher assistants, to efforts to increase class sizes even as teachers in some schools have high numbers of students who need individual attention to succeed.

Unfortunately, the Honorables continue to turn a deaf ear to those concerns.

But also in attendance Friday was a parent whose situation illustrates the tough reality that our public schools must face: Not every child is getting the education he or she deserves. That must change.

Iris Cooper-Rowland is PTA president at Gregory School of Science, Mathematics and Technology. She is energetic and highly involved in her children's education. She supported former school board member Elizabeth Redenbaugh, who was heavily criticized by her former Republican Party for speaking out about racial and socioeconomic equality in the schools. And like the majority of parents whose students attend Gregory, she is African-American.

She is also discouraged by what she perceives is a system that focuses far too much attention on students who are struggling to catch up, at the expense of the brightest students – especially in high-poverty schools. She attended Friday's meeting with the intention of letting the Public Schools First NC know that she wants a voucher for her children to attend Cape Fear Academy, which she couldn't afford on her own as a divorced mother.

Nevertheless, she understands that efforts to pull funding from the public schools are not the way to go, either. She objects to legislation that would make classrooms even more crowded, because she sees how hard it is for teachers to handle a large number of students who need extra help. And, says Cooper-Rowland, it doesn't help when most students need help just to get to grade level. When that happens, she feels that her children – bright students for whom she has Ivy League ambitions – are being allowed to coast along because they are “good enough.”

Her story will resonate with many parents. The public schools must ensure that all children are not merely meeting an arbitrary bar set by state or federal policy, but that each student is being educated to his or her full potential. Even as far along as North Carolina schools have come in the past four decades, this is one area where we still fall far short.

But the answer is not siphoning money from public schools to fund charter schools and private schools, neither of which is directly accountable to the taxpayers. Private schools also can be selective, and not all private schools are better than public schools. Cooper-Rowland's children have what it takes to get into an exclusive private school, but many of their classmates would be rejected based on grades, behavior issues or learning disabilities. Where is their “choice”?

Private schools and charter schools may satisfy individual parents, but they will not improve the public schools. They take not only money out of the system but also those students whose parents have the means, work flexibility and determination to take their children to another school, participate in classroom activities and supervise homework.

It is clear from legislation that is making its way through the General Assembly that the Honorables are not really interested in improving the public schools. If they were, they would be trying to help schools get the resources and high-quality staff needed to help each student meet expectations. They would be increasing expectations, even in schools with children who may have to work harder to meet high standards.

And they would be looking to work with teachers, both to listen to the educators' ideas and to develop a system that holds school employees accountable for each student's progress. Instead, they are spending their time and taxpayers' money to perpetuate the notion that private/charter schools are the panacea, where everyone lives happily (and smarter) ever after.

North Carolina's children can't afford legislators who take their cue from fairy tales. They need lawmakers who want public schools to succeed and will develop policies to help build up the schools, not tear them down.

But as one parent's experience illustrates, the public schools must also step up and put pressure on themselves to do the best possible job for our children, regardless of the obstacles the Honorables put in front of them.

<p>A group of public school advocates met under a tree at Robert Strange Park on Friday, sounding the alarm – a school bell, actually – about efforts by the N.C. General Assembly to cut programs that have proven effective in the public schools and spend taxpayers' money on charter schools and private school vouchers.</p><p>Led by former congressman and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Bob Etheridge, speakers from Public Schools First NC ran down a list of assaults on public schools, from cuts in preschool programs proven to make a difference in student achievement, to demoralizing treatment of teachers, to cutting teacher assistants, to efforts to increase class sizes even as teachers in some schools have high numbers of students who need individual attention to succeed.</p><p>Unfortunately, the Honorables continue to turn a deaf ear to those concerns.</p><p>But also in attendance Friday was a parent whose situation illustrates the tough reality that our public schools must face: Not every child is getting the education he or she deserves. That must change.</p><p>Iris Cooper-Rowland is PTA president at Gregory School of Science, Mathematics and Technology. She is energetic and highly involved in her children's education. She supported former school board member <a href="http://www.starnewsonline.com/section/topic52"><b>Elizabeth Redenbaugh</b></a>, who was heavily criticized by her former Republican Party for speaking out about racial and socioeconomic equality in the schools. And like the majority of parents whose students attend Gregory, she is African-American.</p><p>She is also discouraged by what she perceives is a system that focuses far too much attention on students who are struggling to catch up, at the expense of the brightest students – especially in high-poverty schools. She attended Friday's meeting with the intention of letting the Public Schools First NC know that she wants a voucher for her children to attend Cape Fear Academy, which she couldn't afford on her own as a divorced mother.</p><p>Nevertheless, she understands that efforts to pull funding from the public schools are not the way to go, either. She objects to legislation that would make classrooms even more crowded, because she sees how hard it is for teachers to handle a large number of students who need extra help. And, says Cooper-Rowland, it doesn't help when most students need help just to get to grade level. When that happens, she feels that her children – bright students for whom she has Ivy League ambitions – are being allowed to coast along because they are “good enough.”</p><p>Her story will resonate with many parents. The public schools must ensure that all children are not merely meeting an arbitrary bar set by state or federal policy, but that each student is being educated to his or her full potential. Even as far along as North Carolina schools have come in the past four decades, this is one area where we still fall far short.</p><p>But the answer is not siphoning money from public schools to fund charter schools and private schools, neither of which is directly accountable to the taxpayers. Private schools also can be selective, and not all private schools are better than public schools. Cooper-Rowland's children have what it takes to get into an exclusive private school, but many of their classmates would be rejected based on grades, behavior issues or learning disabilities. Where is their “choice”?</p><p>Private schools and charter schools may satisfy individual parents, but they will not improve the public schools. They take not only money out of the system but also those students whose parents have the means, work flexibility and determination to take their children to another school, participate in classroom activities and supervise homework.</p><p>It is clear from legislation that is making its way through the General Assembly that the Honorables are not really interested in improving the public schools. If they were, they would be trying to help schools get the resources and high-quality staff needed to help each student meet expectations. They would be increasing expectations, even in schools with children who may have to work harder to meet high standards.</p><p>And they would be looking to work with teachers, both to listen to the educators' ideas and to develop a system that holds school employees accountable for each student's progress. Instead, they are spending their time and taxpayers' money to perpetuate the notion that private/charter schools are the panacea, where everyone lives happily (and smarter) ever after.</p><p>North Carolina's children can't afford legislators who take their cue from fairy tales. They need lawmakers who want public schools to succeed and will develop policies to help build up the schools, not tear them down.</p><p>But as one parent's experience illustrates, the public schools must also step up and put pressure on themselves to do the best possible job for our children, regardless of the obstacles the Honorables put in front of them.</p>